Spring compressor for removing poppet valves



- June 7, 1932. R. B. BARBER SPRING COMPRESSOR FOR REMOVING POPPET VALVES Filed Dec. 8, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jwwntoz fi/anaLZiBCl/A a Jilli 7, 1932; R B BARBER 1,862,454

SPRING COMPRESsOR FOR REMOVING POPPET VALVES Fild Dec. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 1 2 g 2M V Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT DFFlCE ROLAND B. BARBER, F WHEELER ROAD, MARYLAND SIPRING COMPRESSOR FOR REMOVING POPPET VALVES Application filed December 8, 1931. Serial No. 579,807.

My invention consists in new and useful the spring compressor in released position in improvements in a spring compressor and full lines, and 1n compressed position in dotrelates more particularly to that type of deted lines, and

A vice which is adapted for inserting and re- Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the compressor moving the springs of poppet valves 1n 1n- 1n released posltlon. ternal combustion engines. In the drawings, 1 represents a main body It is well known that with devices heretoportion, one end of which is provided with fore employed mechanics have experienced any suitable gripping means to serve as a M no end of difficulties in gaining access to the handle (not shown), and the other end is "Io springs of poppet valves in order to compress provided with a bifurcated spring sup'portthe same preparatory to removing the valves ing yoke 2, the latter being either integral for repairs and regrinding. Also conslderwith the body portion 1 or secured thereto able difiiculty has been encountered in propby any suitable means. The mouth 3 of the M erly compressing the springs when assemyoke 2 is transversely curved and preferably 15 bling the valves and springs in'an engine. flares outwardly toward its open end so as be It is the object of my invention to overcome to accommodate various sizes of springs.

these difficulties and to this end I have pro- 4 represents asecond bifurcated spring vided a device which is extremely simple in supporting yoke which is substantially 'the WW construction and operation, as well as one same in construction as the yoke 2, having a 20 which affords great ease of access to the parts flaring mouth 5. The yoke 4 is free or'disof an engine. Another object of the present connected from the body portion 1 and is invention is to provide aspring compressor preferably provided with a projection 6 at which is adjustable to accommodate various its rear end to serve as a'handle or gripping A lengths and sizes of coil springs. element in applying the device as hereinafter A still further and important object of my set forth. v

invention resides in my improved adjustable The yokes 2 and 4 are arranged in superleverage mechanism for accomplishing. h posed relation and lie in substantially paralcompression of valve springs. lel planes, the yoke 4: being drilled at a. plulVith the above and other objects in vlew rality of points to receive cables or chains "-3 which will appear as the description pro- 7 nd 8, In th for f y i v nti sh w ceeds, my invention consists in the novel feain the drawings, I have employed abl tures herein set forth, illustrated in the acwhich extend through and are secured to the companying drawings and more particularly opposite wings of the yoke 4, the opposite v pointed out in the appended claims. ends of each cable extending downwardly Referring to the drawings in which nuand passing around. rollers or pulleys 9 and merals of like character designate similar 10 which are rotatably mounted on short parts throughout the several views, shafts 9 and 10 respectively, which project Fig. 1' is a perspective view of the spring transversely from the opposite outer sides of compressor in released position. the wings of yoke 2. These pulleys may be Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail showing the secured in place by cotter pins or any oth adjustable lever support or carriage. I suitable means, and the wings of the yoke 2 Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 are preferably recessed to accommodate the of Fig. 2. rollers as clearly shown in the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a. modified form After passing over the rollers 9 and 10, 45 of my inventionjshowing an adjustable spring the cables 7 and 8 are respectively secured engaging yoke. to the free ends of arms 11 and 12 by any Fig. Eris an enlarged detail showing the suitable means such as screws 13, rivets or spring stop and retaining lip on the preferred welding. The opposite ends of the arms 11 form of spring engaging yoke. and 12 are transversely drilled to accommo- 50 Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation showing date a pivot shaft 14 whereby said arms are pivotally secured to the base 15 of a lever 16.

The inner end of the base portion 15 of the lever 16 is preferably bifurcated and provided with transverse apertures 17 whereby the lever 16 is pivotally mounted on the fulcrum pins 18 of an adjustable carriage 19 hereinafter described in detail. As best shown in Fig. 2, said base member 15 is pro vided with a plurality of transverse apertures 20, any one of which is adapted to receive the arm supporting shaft 14, thus permitting the degree of leverage to be adjusted to suit conditions.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the carriage or lever supporting member 19 is provided with a substantially semi-oval opening 21, the upper boundary of which is preferably transversely straight, said opening 21 being adapted to receive the main body portion 1 and to slide longitudinally thereon. A portion of the surface of the body portion 1 adjacent the straight boundary of the opening 21 is preferably provided with a plurality of serrations or notches ...3 which are adapted to be engaged by the straight edge 22 when the carriage 19 is in a tilted position as shown in Fig. 1. A spring 24 is mounted on the lower end of the carriage 19 with its free end adapted to engage the undersurface of the body portion 1 in such a position as to retain said carriage 19 in an angularly disposed or tilted relation with respect to the body portion 1, thereby normally causing the straight edge 22 to engage in the notches 23, locking said carriage against longitudinal movement in either direction on the body portion 1.

The underside of the carriage 19 is preferably provided with a tab 25 by means of which the operator may swing the carriage forwardly against the opposition of the spring 24 to release the carriage from locked position. It will be noted that the elongated aperture 21 in the carriage is of suitable dimension and shape to permit of this movement.

The spring retaining means in the yokes 2 and 4 may be of two difierent types. For example, as shown in Fig. 5 I may provide a series of stop pins 26 which extend vertically through the yokes, projecting above and below the horizontal surfaces thereof, said pins being adapted to engage behind the outer surfaces of the springs to act as rear stops. In addition to these rear stops I may provide alip 27 on the undersurface of the yoke 4 and the upper surface of the yoke 2 to engage the side of the convolutions of the spring adjacent the respective yoke. Thus these two elements 26 and 27 tend to retain the spring in its proper relative position with respect to the yoke.

A modified form of spring retaining means is shown in Fig. 4 where, instead of the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, I provide an adjustable arc-shaped stop 28, which by means of a slot and screw 29 and 30 respectively, the latter engaging threads in the main body portion of the yoke, the stop or support 28 may be adjusted longitudinally to accommodate varying sizes of springs.

Having thus described the construction and assembly of my improved spring compressor, its operation is as follows Either in assembling an engine or removing the poppet valve springs therefrom, the parts of my device are placed in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6 and the yokes 2 and 4 are slipped over the spring until the latter is properly engaged by the stops 26 and lip 27 It will be noted that either the entire longitudinal extent of the spring may be thus engaged or any portion thereof. The carriage 19 is then moved rearwardly on the body portion 1 in the manner hereinbefore set forth, until all of the slack is taken up in the cables 7 and 8, and upon releasing the tab 25 said carriage is rendered in locked position. The lever 16 is then brought rearwardly on its fulcrum 18, which, due to the eccentric location of the pivotally mounted arms 11 and 12, causes the cables 7 and 8 to be drawn down over the rollers 9 and 10, which in turn brings the upper yoke 4 downwardly to compress the spring, the latter being maintained in this position so long as the lever 16 is held down.

It will be noted that this device may be used both in applying poppet valve springs during the assembly of an engine or the removal. of said springs in repairing an engine, and due to the simplicity of structure and arrangement of parts, the accessibility of the springs is greatly increased.

It will be further noted that in case it should be more desirable to have the lever 16 operate from the underside of the body portion 1 instead of the manner heretofore described. this may be readily accomplished by removing the threaded cap 14 and withdrawing the shaft 14. The carriage 19 would then be reversed with the lever on the underside of the body portion after which the arms 11 and 12 and the shaft 14 and cap 14' are reassembled. It will thus be seen that this device is more or less universal in its operation.

While I have shown and described the cables and 8 as passing through and over the wings of the yoke 4. it is obvious that other arrangements may be employed with equal effect. For example. instead of two endless cables as shown, I may employ individual cables secured by any suitable means to the yoke 4 and arms 11 and 12. or I may secure the ends of the cables to the yoke 4 by a punching and stamping operation. Furthermore itwill be observed that I may entirely eliminate the arms 11 and 12 and secure the ends of the cables 7 and 8 directly to the eccentrically mounted shaft 14 on the base portion 15 of the lever 16.

From the foregoing it is believed that the advantages and operation of my improved spring compressor may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction Without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spring compressor comprising a body portion, a spring engaging member carried by said body portion, a second spring engaging member lying in a substantially parallel plane and in superposed relation to said first named member, a plurality of flexible connections secured at one end to said second member, their other ends being secured to an eccentric lever mounted on said body portion, the intermediate portions of said connections passing over rollers secured to said first named member, and means for adjusting the longitudinal position of said lever mounted on said body portion to take up any slack in said connections, whereby when a coil spring is interposed between said spring engaging members, the movement of said lever on its fulcrum will draw the second member toward the first to compress the spring.

2. A spring compressor comprising a body portion, a spring engaging yoke carried by said body portion, a second spring engaging yoke lying in a substantially parallel plane and in superposed relation to said first named yoke, a plurality of flexible connections secured at one end to said second yoke, their other ends being secured to an eccentric lever mounted on said body portion, the intermediate portions of said connections passing over rollers secured to said first named yoke, and means for adjusting the longitudinal position of said lever on said body portion to take up any slack in said connections, whereby when a coil spring is interposed between said spring engaging yokes, the movement of said lever on its fulcrum will draw the second yoke toward the first to compress the spring.

3. A spring compressor comprising a body portion, a spring engaging yoke carried by said body portion, a second spring engaging yoke lying in a plane substantially parallel to said first named yoke, and arranged in a substantially vertical line therewith, a plurality of flexible connections secured to said second yoke and passing over respective guide means secured to said first yoke, and means on said body portion operatively engaging said connections, whereby tension may be applied to said connections to draw said second yoke toward the first.

4:. A spring compressor comprising a body portion, a spring engaging yoke carried by said body portion, a second spring engaging yoke lying in a plane substantially parallel to said first named yoke and arranged in a substantially vertical line therewith, a plurality of cables secured to said second yoke and passing over respective rollers secured to .said first yoke, .and means on said body portion operatively engaging said cables,

whereby tension may be applied to said cables to draw said second portion, a spring engaging yoke carried by said body portion, a second spring engaging yoke lying in a plane'substantially parallel to said first named yoke and arranged in a substantially vertical line therewith, a plurality of cables secured to said second yoke and passing over respective rollers secured to said first yoke, a carriage on said body portion, a lever pivotally secured to said carriage, means for connecting said cables to an eccentric point on said lever, and means for adjusting the longitudinal position of said carriage on said body portion.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 including means for regulating the degree of leverage applied to said cables.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 including means for locking said carriage in the desired position on said body portion.

8. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said carriage consists of a member having a substantially elongated opening adapted to slidably engage said body portion, and spring means for normally causing said member to assume a tilting position with respect to said body portion, whereby the vertical boundaries of said elongated opening are forced into gripping engagement with the adjacent surfaces of the body portion.

9. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said carriage consists of a member having a substantially elongated opening adapted to slidably engage said body portion, spring means for normally causing said member to assume a tilting position with respect to said body portion, whereby the vertical boundaries of said elongated opening are forced into gripping engagement with the adjacent surfaces of the body portion, and a projection on said carriage to facilitate its release.

10. A spring compressor comprising a body portion, a bifurcated spring engaging yoke carried by said body portion, a second bifurcated spring engaging yoke lying in a plane substantially parallel to said first named yoke and in substantially vertical alignment therewith, a plurality of cables secured to said second yoke and passing over respective anti-friction means secured to said first yoke, means carried by said body portion and operatively connected to saidcables for applying tension to the latter to draw the second yoke toward the first, and means on said yokes for retaining a coil spring in the proper relative position.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said last named means comprises stop members for limiting the rearward movement of said spring with respect to said yokes.

12. A device as claimed in claim 10 where in said last named means comprises stop members for limiting the rearward movement of said spring with respect to said yokes, and a projecting lip for limiting the forward movement of said spring.

13. A device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said last named means consists of an ad justable stop member for limiting the rearward movement of a spring with respect to said yokes.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature ROLAND B. BARBER. 

